Examples.
The following is an example of how the apportionment formula works in the context of the corporation net income tax:
A hypothetical corporation has facilities and operations in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, New York, and California.
The corporation has sales in 47 of the 50 states of the USA.
The apportionment formula is as follows:
Federal Taxable Income -- The corporation has $10,000,000 federal taxable income from all operations in the USA after West Virginia modifications and adjustments. These modifications and adjustments are, for certain items that are required to be added to, or subtracted from, federal taxable income before apportionment.
Average value of property in the USA -- The total average value of property owned and leased by the corporation during the tax year in the USA (including property in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, New York, and California) is $517,050,000.
Average value of property in the West Virginia -- The total average value of property owned and leased by the corporation during the tax year in West Virginia is $15,000,000.
Payroll in the USA -- The total annual payroll paid to all employees of the corporation in the USA (including payroll paid in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, New York, and California) during the tax year is $65,628,000.
Payroll in West Virginia -- The total annual payroll paid to all employees of the corporation in West Virginia is $2,499,000.
Sales in the USA -- The total sales of the corporation in the entire USA (all of the 47 states in which the corporation has sales) are $435,009,000.
The corporation sells almost all of its production outside of West Virginia.
Sales in West Virginia -- The total sales of the corporation in West Virginia are $4,000.
The apportionment formula, using these values, would be as follows:
The math works out as follows:
OR
OR
OR
0.016777 -- This is the apportionment factor.
Assuming that the corporation has no allocable WV income, out of all of the operations in the USA, slightly over one percent (i.e., 0.016777) of the operations of the corporation are attributable to West Virginia operations and activity.
Net federal taxable income from all operations in the USA, after WV modifications and adjustments is $10,000,000.
Applying the apportionment formula, West Virginia taxable income is:
Federal Taxable Income (After Adjustments) | Apportionment Factor | WV Taxable Income | ||
$10,000,000 | x | 0.016777 | = | $167,770.00 |
The final computation of the tax is as follows. The hypothetical corporation has federal taxable income after modifications and adjustments allocated and apportioned to West Virginia in the amount of $167,770.00. The tax rate for the given year is 8.75%.
Tax is .0875 x $167,770.00 = $14,679.88 (rounded)
Tax is $14,679.88.
WV Payroll + 2. (WV Sales) + 0 WV Property
Total Payroll (Total Sales) 0 Total Property
3
If, for some unusual reason, a corporation has no sales anywhere, since the sales factor is double weighted, the overall denominator would be reduced by 2.
The Joyce case and the Finnegan case were tax matters brought before the California State Board of Equalization B
Appeal of Joyce, Inc., 66 SBE 069, 1966 WL 1411 (Cal. St. Bd. Eq.) (Nov. 23, 1966).
Appeal of Finnigan Corp., 88- SBE-022-A, 1990 WL 15164 (Cal. St. Bd. Eq.) (Jan. 24, 1990).
The issue for which these cases have become known relates to the determination of the sales that are included in the numerator of the sales factor for purposes of the apportionment formula.
In synopsis, the basic distinction is as follows:
Joyce -- If a unitary group member has nexus with the state, then "in state" gross receipts of that member are included in the sales factor numerator, but not if the member does not have nexus with the state, determined on a "stand alone" basis.
Finnigan -- If one or more unitary group members has nexus with the state, then "in state" gross receipts of all unitary group members are included in the sales factor numerator, including "in state" gross receipts of a unitary group member that, itself, does not have nexus with the state, determined on a "stand alone" basis.
West Virginia is a "Joyce State."
If the unitary member does not have nexus with West Virginia or if the unitary member is not taxable under the protections of PL 86-272, then that unitary member's gross receipts derived from transactions and activity in the regular course of its trade or business in West Virginia are not included in the numerator of the sales factor when the tax return is prepared, and for combined group members, when the combined report is prepared.
Sales Factor Denominator | ||
Before Throw-out | After Throw-out | |
Corporation A | $ 5 million | $ 5 million |
Corporation B | $ 5 million | $ 4 million |
Corporation C | $ 5 million | $ 4.5 million |
Corporation D | $ 5 million | $ 3 million |
Total | $20 million | $16.5 million |
W. Va. Code R. § 110-24-7